Control means for propulsion units



' J. A. M GREW v CONTROL MEANS FOR PROPULSION UNITS Filed Oct. 8 1924 2 sheets-sheet 1 I 11:6 (TJ v ATTORNEY- I Y .j' c. WW

Nov. 2 1926.

I 1,605,367 J. A. MCGREW I CONTROL MEANS FOR PROPULSION UNITS 4 Filed Oct. 8., 1924' 2 heets-Sheet 2 A'ITOR Y Patented Nov. 2, 1926.

engine.

JOHN A. MOGREW, OF ALBANY, NEW YORK.

PATENT OFFICE.

CONTROL MEANS FOR, PROPULSION UNITS.

Application filed October 8, 1924. Serial No. 742,491.

This invention relates to control means for propulsion units, and more particularly to an improved semi-automatic device for cutting out an auxiliary motor for locomotlves or rendering the same inoperative at a pre-;

determined cut-off of the main locomotive It is the primary object of my present improvements to provide such a semi-auto matic control means for propulsion units so constructed and arranged that the same may be readily adapted or applied to standard types of steam locomotives in combination with the reverse shaft of the valve link motion with which such locomotives are equipped.

More particularly, in a preferred embodiment of my present im rovements, I pro vide an air actuated va ve controlling the supply of steam to the motor cylinders and interpose in the supply connection between said valve and the source of compressed air, a rotary three-way valve, and coacting means on said valve and the link motion reverse shaft which is actuated by the engineers reverse lever, whereby when said re verse lever is moved to its forward position, said three-way valve is automatically opened to supply air tosaid air actuated valve, and after the locomotive has acquired the desired speed and the reverse lever is hooked back so that the main locomotive engine sion of the steam, said three-way valve is moved to its closed position, whereby the further supply of steam to the 'motor cylinders is cut off by the closing of said air actuated valve and the motor thus rendered inoperative.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the improved control means for propulsion units and in the form, construction, combination and ar rangement of the several parts thereof, as will be hereinafter more fully described, i1- lustrated in the accompanying drawings, and subsequently incorporated in the subjoined claims. 1

In the drawings wherein I have illustrated one desirable and practical embodiment of the invention and in which similar reference characters designate corresponding 'parts Figure 2'is an enlarged detail view of the 1 essential parts thereof; and

Figure 3 is a detail elevation right angles to Figure 2. v

In the drawings I have illustrated only so much of the locomotive structure as will suflice for a clear understanding of the application and operation oflmy present im-' provements. It will be understood that the locomotive is equipped with the usual valve link motion of' either the Walchert or Steve'nson type, said link motion being operated through suitable connections from the reverse shaft indicated at 5, suitably journaled upon the side frames of the locomotive and having fixed thereto a bell crank lever 6, one arm of which is connected by the rod 7 to the engineers reverse lever 8, which is movable over the customary quadrant 9.

Although my present invention is not confined to any particular type of auxiliary motor, I preferably employ a motor of the general construction shown and described in Patent No. 1, 412, 250, issued April 11, 1922, to John A. McGrew' and James T. Loree, and mount said motor upon either the forward or rear truck of the locomotive tender, said motor being automatically entrained with the truck axle to impart a driving impulse thereto in the manner disclosed in Patent No.

looking at 1,447,353, issued March 6, 1923, to John A..

McGrew and James T. Loree.

The supply of steam to the motor cylinders is controlled by an air actuated valve, generally indicated herein by the numeral 10, which is interposed in the supply connections between the motor cylinders and the superheated steamsupply pipes leading to the main engine cylinders. It will be understood that my present improvements are not to be restricted to the specific type of this valve 10, as herein shown, and that any other form of valve which will satisfactorily subserve the purpose might be substituted therefor. v

Compressed air is supplied for the actuation ofthe valve .10 from a suitable reservoir 11 which is connected by a pipe 12 to an engineers valve 13 suitably mounted in the locomotive cab. This valve 13 is a common three-way valve and is connected by the pipe 14 with a second three-way valve 15 which is mounted upon a suitable supporting bracket 16 adjacent to the link motion 'reverse shaft 5. The casing of this valve has an outlet port connected by the pipe 17 to an air inlet port in the valve 10, said valve 15 also having an exhaust pipe connection 18 open to the atmosphere. The rotary member 19 of the valve 15 is provided with spaced communicating ports 20, 21 and 22, respectively, and the shaft 23 of said valve member has an arm 24 fixed thereto extending radially from said shaft and provided at its outer end with the spaced teeth 25. This arm carries a stop pin 26 operating in a slot or recess in the edge of the valve casing between shoulders indicated at 27, whereby the rota movement of said valve mecilnber in each irection is definitely limite Upon the link motion reverse shaft 5 an arm 28 is accurately adjusted with respect to the valve arm 24 and fixed in position by the set screw 29. This arm at its free end is provided with a single tooth 30, adapted to co-operate with the teeth 25 on the valve arm upon the rocking movement of the reverse shaft 5, as hereinafter explained.

It will be understood that the engineers valve 13 is normally in open position, as shown in Figure 1 of the drawings, so that the pipe connections 12 and 14 are in commumcation with each other. This valve, however, is provided with the exhaust 31 whereby the pipe connection 12 may be closed at any time and the air exhausted through ipes 17 and 14 to the atmosphere. Preferab pipe 12 is also provided with a cut-off cock 32.

In the operation of the mechanism above described, when the locomotive is leaving the terminal or ascending a grade and it is desired to accelerate the movement thereof, as the engineers reverse lever 8 is thrown to the forward position, or as it is colloquially expressed, into the corner, in order to give the greatest degree of valve opening, vthe link motion reverse shaft 5 is' actuated through the connections-6 and 7, and at an intermediate point in this movement of the reverse lever, the tooth 30 on the arm 28 fixed to the shaft 5, engages between the teeth 25 on the valve arm 24 and moves the valve member 19 to open position, thereby connecting the pipes 14 and17 with each other through thevalve ports 20 and 21 so that compressed air is supplied to the valve 10 to move the latter to open position and thereby permit steam to pass to the motor cylinders and actuate the means whereby the motor is entrained with the truck axle.

After the locomotive has acquired the desired speed, say 12 or 15 miles per hour, the reverse lever 8 is hooked back to shorten the valve opening leading. to the main engine cylinders so that thereafter the main engine is partially operated by the expansive pressure of the steam. The movement of the reverse shaft 5 thereby causes the tooth 30 on arm 28 to again coact with the teeth one of actuating the reverse lever 8 is neces- 25 on the arm 24 and reverse the rotation of the valve member 19, thus cutting off the connection between the air supply pipes 14 and 17 and effecting registration of the valve port 20 with pipe 17 and of the valve port 22 with the pipe 18, whereby the air is exhausted from the valve 10 through said pipe connections and the ports of the valve member 19 to the atmosphere. Therefore, further supply of steam to the motor is cut off and the driving shaft of the motor is automatically disentrained from the truck axle. In this manner, it will be seen that no other manual operation than the usual sary to cut in the motor when the main throttle is opened to start the locomotive and that the motor is also automatically cut out of operation when the reverse lever is hooked up to a predetermined cut-off. The arm '28 is accurately set or adjusted upon the shaft 5 so that the rotary valve member 19 is in full open position to supply air to the valve 10 only when the reverse lever 8 is in its full forward position and the main locomotive engine is being operated, at full steam pressure.

From the foregoing description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and manner of operation of my present improvements will be fully and clearly understood. It will be seen that I have provided a very simple, reliable and positively operating mechanism which is easily applicable to standard types of locomotives and which does not require in the operation thereof, other operations or manipulations of devices of the locomotive than those with which the modern locomotive engineer is entirely familiar. Therefore, it may be said that the control of the motor is entirely automatic, since it is cut into and out of operation without any volitional act upon the part of the engineer otherthan those necessary for the operation .110 and control of the main locomotive engine.

In illustrating my present improvements,

I have shown a more or less conventional type of valve 15, and it is to be understood that various alternative forms of such Valve might be provided as well as other co-operating means between said valve and the link motion reverse shaft, whereby the reverse lever will be properly operated as herein explained. Likewise, the several other illustrated and described parts of the mechanism might be variously modified in their form, proportion, mounting and relative arrangement as may be found desirable or necessary in order to adapt my present improvements to different types of locomotives.

Accordingly, I reserve the privilege of adopting all such legitimate changes in the several structural parts of the device, as may be fairly embodied within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim: 1. In a control means for auxiliary motors, in combination with the valve link motion of a locomotive and operating shaft therefor, an air actuated valve controlling the supply of steam to the auxiliary motor, a source of compressed air and connections between the same and said valve including a movable valve member to connect said first-named valve to the source of compressed air or to the atmosphere, and coacting means between said movable valve member and said shaft whereby said valve member is moved in one direction to connect said first-named valve with the source of compressed air when the .link motion is actuated to supply full steam pressure to the main engine cylindersand said valve member is moved in the opposite direction to connect the first-named valve with the atmosphere when the link motion is actuated to reduce the. steam supply to the main engine cylinders.

2. In a control means for auxiliary motors in combination with the operating shaft of a locomotive link motion and a reverse lever connected therewith, an air actuated valve controlling the supply of steam to the auxiliary motor, a source of compressed air for said valve, and means automatically actuated by said link motion operating shaft when the reverse lever is moved to full forward position to open communication. between said valve and the source of compressed air and to automatically cut off the air supply and connect said valve with the atmosphere when the reverse lever is hooked up after the locomotive has acquired a desired predetermined speed. a

3. In a control means for auxiliary motors in combination with the operating shaft of the locomotive link motion and a reverse lever connected therewith, an air actuated .valve controlling the supply of steam to the auxiliary motor, means for connecting said valve with the source of compressed air including a rotarythree-way-valve, and co acting means carried by said valve and the operating shaft for the link motion whereby compressed air is supplied to the first-named valve when the reverse lever is moved to its.

full forward position and said three-way valve is actuated to connect said first-named valve with the atmosphere when the reverse lever is hooked up after the locomotive has acquired a desired predetermined speed.

4. In a control means for auxiliary motors, in combination with the operating shaft of a locomotive link motion and a reverse lever connected therewith, an air actuated valve controlling the supply of steam to the auxiliary motor and means for connecting said valve with a source of compressed air or to the atmosphere, said means including a rotary three-way valve, and coaeting members on said valve and the operating shaft for said link motion whereby said valve is rotated in one direction when the reverse lever is moved to full forward position to connect said first-named valve with the source of compressed air, and said rotary valve mem-.

her is moved in the opposite direction when the reverse lever is hooked up after the locomotive has acquired a. desired predetermined speed whereby the first-named valve is connected with the atmosphere 5. In a control means for auxiliary motors, in combination with the operating shaft of a locomotive link motion and a reverse lever connected therewith, an air actuated valve controlling the supply of steam to the auxiliary motor and means for connecting said valve with a source of compressed air or to the atmosphere, said means including a rotary three-way valve, an arm fixed to the ro-.

tary three-way valve and having spaced teeth, and an'arm fixed on the operating shaft of said link motion and having a sin gle tooth to coact with the spaced teeth of the valve arm whereby the rotary valve mem- .ber is moved in one direction when the reverse lever is moved to its full forward posi tion to open communication between the first-named valve and the source of compressed air and said rotary valve is moved in the reverse direction when the reverse lever is hooked up after 'the locomotive has acquired a desired predetermined speed, whereby said first-named valve is connected with the atmosphere.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as 'my invention, 1 have signed my name hereto.

JOHN A. MOGREW. 

